Antifriction pivot bearing



Patented Oct. 28, 1941 ANTIFRICTION PIVOT BARJG Edward E. Woller,Kenosha, Wis.,,assignor to b Simmons Company, New York, N. Y., acorporation of Delaware Application December 23, 1940, Serial No.371,250 s claims. v(ci. sos-189) This invention relates to improvementsin pivot bearings, and more particularly to bearings that form pivotjoints between members that. have overlapped flat surfaces. Where suchmembers are connected solely by a plain pivot stud, changes intherelative angular positions of such members when under load ofteninvolves more or less side thrust of the overlapping surfaces on eachother,

giving rise to chang, wear and noise, and .the y creation of anobjectionably loose joint. An object of this invention is to provide animproved pivot joint for parts having overlapped substantially flatsurfaces that will be free from the above noted faults, will betterresist relative side thrust of the pivoted parts, and will be noiselessin operation-this latter being particularly advantageous in situationswhere noise is highly objectionable.

In the accompanying drawing I have shown the invention applied to ananti-sway device for bedsprings such as forms the subject matter ofLetters Patent to Don Carlos Travis, No. 1,545,713, dated July 14, 1925,and contemplate that such will be its principal field of service; butthe principle of the invention is capable of application to otherdevices of more or less similar nature where it is desirable to reducefriction, wear, looseness and noise between pivoted members havingsubstantially flat overlapping surfaces, and create greater lateralstability.

A practical embodiment of this invention, as embodied in an anti-swaydevice for bed-springs of the character shown in the aforesaid TravisPatent No. 1,545,713 is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, inwhich- Fig. 1 is a side elevation.

Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a sectiontaken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Figs. 4 and 5 are sections taken on the lines 4-4 and 5--5,respectively, of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, Ithe spring supporting frame of the bed-springincludes a surrounding frame of angle iron, one of the side members ofwhich is shown in cross section at IIJ; and stepped on the angle ironIIJ is an outer row of springs II; the inner rows of springs and theirsupports not being illustrated herein, since they have no relation tothe present invention.

In a spring of ythis general type it is customary to equip the outeredge of the top of the spring with a surrounding and usually continuousborder frame, herein shown as consisting of angle bars I2, to which theupper ends 'of the outer coilsl 'II are secured. I l

The anti-sway device for preventing van inward pull of the upper endsofthe springs II when a load is imposed on the bed-springy comprises adownwardly and inwardly extending arm I3, herein shown `as a section ofangle iron, that is strongly .secured at its upper outer end to thehorizontal'limb of the'frame Amember I 0 by a pair of rivets' I4, a pairof links designated as entireties by I5 and I6 attheir lower ends pvotedon studs II' and `I8 mounted in a vertical limb of the angle bar I3, andan upper distance bar 20 of inverted-U cross section, as shown in Fig.4, the sides of which straddle the upper yends of the links I5 and I6and are connected to the latter by pivot studs I1 and I8; The upper andouter end portion of the distance bar 20 is reduced in height andwidened, as shown at 20' (Figs. 1 and 5), and the horizontal limb of thewidened portion is secured to the underside of the horizontal limb ofthe angle bar bounding yframe I2 by a rivet 2| y Describing now thosestructural features of the pivotal connections of the upper ends of thelinks I5 and I6 to the distance bar 20 (which are identical), and thepivotal connections of the lower ends of the links I5 and I6 to therigid angle bar I3 (which are also identical), and referring mainly toFigs. 2 and 3, each of the links I5 and l I6 preferably is composed of apair of flat contiguous sections 22 and 23 that are interlocked at theirouter edges as by crimping the outer edge 23' of the section 23 over andaround the outer edge 22 of the section 22. The sections 23 and 22 ofthe links I5 and I6 are formed in their upper portions with a ball raceconsisting of opposed outwardly extending inclined sides 24 and 25 thatencircle the pivot studs I1 and I8, and seat a circular row of steelballs 26 that also encircles and bears on the pivot studs -I'I and I8.To confine the balls 26 against possiblefescape from the ball race 24,25, a pair of flat washers 2'I and 28 are interposed between the ring ofballs 26 and the adjacent parallel walls of the distance bar 20.

The same ball race 24, 25 is employed on the lower ends of the links I5and I6 in connection with ythe identical pivot studs I'I' and I8. A'sshown in Fig. 3, the studs I'I and I8' are rigidly mounted in thevertical limb of the angle bar I3, and the lower ends of the links I5and I6 overlap the outer side of the vertical limb of the angle bar I3.A washer 21 is inserted between the ring of l balls-T26 and the opposedside of the/angle bar I3 to' confine the balls 26 against escape; butthe outer washer, such as 28 (Fig. 2) may be dispensed withby making thehead 29 of the studs I'I and I8 of sufficient diameter to fulfill thefunction of the outer washer 28.

yWhen the anti-sway device is functioningunder a load on the bed-spring,the distance bar 20 and the vlinks lI5V and vI6 shift between the fulland dotted line positions shown in Fig. 1. From the foregoingdescription it will be apparent' that the Y described anti-frictionbearings not only reduce wear on the pivot studs, but they also preventside wear, chafng, and looseness offlt and noise` l between theoverlapping members land |-6 and Y the bars I3 and 2U, producing anoiseless antisway device which, for obvious reasons, is parv ticularlyuseful in a bed structure, wherein the elimination of noise is highlydesirable.

. `1. In an anti-friction pivot bearing ofthe class described, thecombination with two flat, members khaving overlapping portions, andastud extendingthr'ou'ghfand pivotally connecting saidoverlapping'portionsjofy a ballracel formed in one of themembersienci'rclingfsaid stud, said ball race havingoppo's'edf'outwardlyextending sides, a rin'g of ballsv insaid'balli race in.Y rollingcontact 'with saidstud, andai-washer encircling said'stud between" saidring fof balls and the adjacent side of the'oth'er bf saidm'embersl 1 l.

ZIIn'zaii yanti-friction bearing 'of the class described, thecombination of a member having parallel laterally spaced flat walls, asecond member having a portion thereof disposed between the spaced wallsof said first named member, a stud extending through and pivotallyconnecting the overlapping portions of said members, a ball lraceformed'in said second member encircling `disposed between the spaced walls ofsaid rst namedkmember, a stud extending through and pivotally connectingthe overlapping portions 'of said members, aball 'race in said secondmember encircling 'said stud, said ball race having opposed outwardlyextending .sides lrespectively integralv y with` the sections of saidsecond member, a ring' of balls lin Jsaid ball race 'in lrollingcontaclfwit'h` said'stud, and a pair Aof flat washersrespectively`encircling said stud between` said ring of balls f and theadjacentparallel walls of -said 'first nained" member.

said ring of balls and the adjacent parallel Walls EowARD E. lwonLini-g;i

